Infestation in Limbo
by Richard B. Sampson Jr
Summary: Set after the series ended, The Silverhawks and Mon*Star's Mob have been at odds for a while. Now, a new group is coming in, and it means bad news for all of Limbo. In the third entry, the new group begins their open move on The Mob, and the Silverhawks see their first sign that there is a new threat in Limbo.
1. The Arrival

Infestation In Limbo

(Silverhawks is property of Lorimar Telepictures, or whomever owns the rights now. No money was made off this story.)

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Prelude: The Arrival

Out in space, there is a region known as Limbo Galaxy. It is one of the advanced sections of the universe, in a state that other areas strive to reach. What was unknown to most of these areas is that until a civilization reaches that level, a higher, unknown power bestows an atmosphere into space. No one knows why, of course, but it is the reason why Limbo Galaxy is the way it is.

Limbo Galaxy is a relatively small area, with an active radius of at least five light-years. It is ironically positioned relatively near the larger galaxy known as The Milky Way, allowing for easy transport between the two locations, although it is still a trek from the farther locations from the closest point to Limbo.

Most of Limbo, however, is lawless, as the legal limits of the major planet in Limbo, Bedlama, is one light-year. Hense, any planetoid or artificial construct on, or past, that limit, known as the Light-Year-Limit, is allowed to cater to anyone, and do anything it damn well pleases.

One small planetoid just on the Limit is known as Fence. On this small rock, there is a bar, and intergalactic fuel station, known as the Sini'Star Diner. It is run by one robotic entity named Harry, who tends to all his customers the same way. He serves them drinks, handles any other needs they have, and takes in all information to report it to those who need to know it most.

At this very moment, Harry is pouring drinks for three of the regulars at his bar. They are three lowlifes who haven't hit the big time yet. It wasn't for a lack of trying, since Harry knew they once jumped the claim of a prospector on Automata. They had subsequently gotten jumped by Melodia, one of Mon*Star's more valuable mob members. Still, the trio of lowlifes strived to make a name for themselves.

The first of the three was known as Space Bandit, or Bandit by those who knew him. He was mostly robotic, with a lone gun in the center of his body, one robotic arm and one humanoid arm. His face was purely robotic, but he still enjoyed a good drink. He was the defacto leader of the group.

Next to him was Rhino, and as his name suggested, he was a humanoid rhinoceros creature. While he didn't have any robotic parts, he had the strength to go toe to toe with one of the Mob's muscle, Mumbo-Jumbo, but only if that robotic entity wasn't in their bestial mode. Rhino was smart as well, but not as smart as Bandit.

The last of the group was Cyclops. Again, befitting his name, he had one solo eye, similar to the creature of Ancient Terran lore. Unlike that creature, Cyclops was very balloon-like. He didn't float, but he hopped about on single column. He was also very unlucky, since in any confrontation, he was almost always shot in the air bladder that kept him upright, causing him to shoot through the sky like a deflating balloon. Rumor was that most of the proceeds of any heist he was part of were used to pay for his healing from these blasts.

This particular day, the trio was having a round of drinks, and was once again lamenting how they hadn't reached the big time yet. It started once they all got to the table they usually sat at when they weren't at the bar. Bandit hit the table with a frustrated fist. "We need the right heist to make it big. We can't keep doing this penny ante stuff. Isn't there some sort of run to Dolar coming up?"

Rhino sadly shook his head as he took a sip of his drink. "Sorry, Bandit. Latest shipment had one of the Silverhawks escorting it. They stepped things up a little after that whole air show incident. We may just have to keep to targeting lone travelers heading in and out of Limbo." Rhino placed his drink down, and sighed. It was not something any of them were happy about.

For a moment, the group remained silent, and then Cyclops pointed to the door, a look of hope in his single eye. "Well, maybe we can target that guy after he leaves. He looks like he might have some loot." That look of hope had been joined by a sound of hope as the other turned to look at the door.

Standing in the door was an individual no one in the place had ever seen before. In fact, no one in Limbo had seen this particular individual. The being in question was a humanoid hybrid of sorts. Parts of them was robotic, and where their forearms were ended in groups of wires. The being's head was a mix of avian features, with what looked like two human eyes, and more of the wires for hair. The figure looked around, checking the area before looking back out the door, and motioning to someone or something to come in. The figure then walked forward to the bar, and the trio heard the figure speak for the first time, in a snakelike voice. "Two of your finest drink, barkeep." This was accompanied by enough money to pay for drinks for everyone.

Harry stared at the money for a moment before collecting it, and saying, "Right away, sir. Two Limbo Moonstar Bursts coming right up." Had there been more people in the bar, there would have been a loud gasp. The simple fact that someone was ordering that drink would have been enough to do so, since only one person ever ordered that drink.

Of course, the reason why no one gasped was the fact that as the drinks were being ordered, a cloaked figure was walking into the bar, and headed over to a table. Something of the cloaked figure demanded respect, and even obedience. As the figure sat down, all three of the outlaws stood up, and walked over to the table as the one who ordered the drinks sat down.

Before either of the two figures could address the outlaws, Cyclops went to raise is own weapon, but just as quickly as it was raised up, Bandit slapped it away and spoke. "You obviously aren't from around here. Let me give you some advice. No one orders Mon*Star's drink without getting his permission. When he finds out, it might be best you are out of Limbo. Besides, I don't need to have to worry about more competition."

While both Rhino and Cyclops nodded, the cloaked figure merely chuckled, as if they had just heard the funniest joke in the world. After a few moments, the figure finally spoke, and his voice sounded robotic. "Mon*Star's time is coming to an end, Bandit. He just doesn't know it. He doesn't know talent when he sees it. He doesn't have plans that succeed. He doesn't even tap the full potential of his criminal empire. He's a washout." The cloaked figure then reached forward, and grabbed their drink, revealing a robotic right hand, with each digit a different color.

Cyclops, for a brief instant, showed what many would have considered hometown pride. The air filled alien moved forward and tried to get in the face of the cloaked figure. While he was a small time thug in Limbo, he actually thought he would end up in Mon*Star's mob one day. "You have no idea what you are talking about, buddy. All the criminals in Limbo want to be part of the mob one day." He would have said more, but there was a blast, and Cyclops started flying around the place backwards, bouncing off the walls, deflating as he screamed in shock.

The cloaked figure lowered the other hand, which wasn't seen, but the blaster it held was. The figure shook his head, and continued speaking. "As I said, Mon*Star's a washout. It's time for new blood in Limbo, that's why The Infestation is here." At the mention of the name, the whole place went quiet. It wasn't a surprise, however, since the group was a quiet legend in crime circles.

Bandit was the first to break the silence, and it was with a surprised stammer. "THE IN-N-N-N-FESTATION!" He shook his head, taking a moment to look around in the process. If that group was in Limbo, there was no way he wanted to be in the mob now. He looks back towards Cyclops, who was still bouncing around. With any luck, fool of their little trio wouldn't end up flying out the door, or one of the windows. He then turned back to the cloaked figure, and a near cheerful voice spoke. "Are you guys recruiting, because if you are…"

Bandit was cut off by the other individual, who spoke again in his snake-like voice. "Why do you think the boss wanted to come here first, Bandit? He was looking to recruit all three of you, but your wind bag of an associate proved he didn't have the merit. The boss needs people who know who to look to, and who are loyal to the one who knows how to run things. The only question is if your other associate is in, or out."

Rhino felt all the eyes on him, but he didn't look at anyone in particular. That was because his eyes went to the cloaked figure's other hand. It has started to immerge from the cloak again, and it still held the blaster. He had a feeling that if he declined the offer, he was going to get blasted. He just didn't know if he'd be killed right away. What he had heard about the group in question, especially the leader, was that if you weren't on his team, you were either dead, or marked for death. He figured Cyclops would be alright, since that happened to the wind bag all the time. He didn't, however, want to experience death by blaster. He nodded his head, and saw the blaster withdraw back into the cloak. "I'm in. Just what did you have in mind, though. Mon*Star has his hands in every criminal venture in Limbo. How do you plan to get your foot in the door here?"

The cloaked figure laughed again, and motioned for the other figure to bring up a case. "Hotwire, bring out the little goodie we found on Earth." As the other figure brought out a box, the cloaked figure continued. "Mon*Star is known for not getting involved in certain activities. A flaw he has shared with other mob bosses in the universe, and they all fell to me. They don't deal in trafficking, and its related trade, nor do they deal with certain substances like this beauty."

At that point, the figure known as Hotwire opened the box, and the criminals around the table looked at the small crystal like substance in it. Hotwire spoke about it, and something like reverence was in his snake-like voice. "Crystal Twist. Back on Earth, centuries ago, this was the drug of choice. Dependency was almost instantaneous, and addicts would part with any amount of money for a fix. Unfortunately, a joint task force managed to catch the only provider and maker. Luckily, not all of it perished, and we were able to replicate it." With the last statement, Hotwire closed the box.

The cloaked individual spoke again, addressing the two new members of their group. "Phase one: we get to Bedlama, and open up a few locations. We will bring Twist to Bedlama, and before a few Limbo months have passed, we will have various secrets thanks to the brothels. Then we start hitting the Mob where it hurts. We take out their members, infiltrate all the institutions in Limbo, and in no time, we will run Limbo." The figure didn't add what would happen in the long term after that. They never did, but Hotwire knew what would happen after that.

There were cheers of assent from the new members, and the cloaked figure stood, and took their leave. The other members left as well, not even bothering to look to Cyclops, who had finally stopped bouncing about, and groaned weakly. Only one figure rushed to his aid, and that was Harry, watching as the group left. He had been running things on Fence for years, and he never saw those others ignore their friend.

He lowered himself over Cyclops, and said, "Don't worry, Cyclops. I'll call for help. You know I always do that. I just have one quick call to make first." He went back behind the bar, thankful that Cyclops's wound wasn't fatal. He really didn't need a fatality right now. The Silverhawks climbing around Fence was not something he wanted, since it would deter business for a while.

He was, however, going to warn Mon*Star of what was coming. You didn't last long in Limbo by catering to the criminal element, and not telling the crime boss about things like what he just heard. He quickly went to his video screen, and started working the system to call Brim*Star. While no visual appeared yet, he was already saying, "Brim*Star, this is Harry on Fence. I have information…"

He trailed off when a snake-like voice answered. He hadn't trailed off because it was Yes-Man, Mon*Star's snake like lacky, and as his name stated, Yes Man. It was the same snake like voice that had just been in the bar. It simply said, _"You were better off calling for help for the balloon, Harry."_ Before he could get away from his communications device, electricity shot out of it, knocking the robotic bartender away. It was a powerful blast, but not lethal.

What the blast did was make Harry forget about everything he had seen and heard since the new individuals had arrived in Limbo. It was because Hotware was a master at communications systems, as well as computers. They couldn't have Mon*Star knowing about them now. It wasn't time yet.

It was a few Limbo minutes later when Harry came to. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he saw the state Cyclops was in. He could even swear the flattened criminal was delirious, most likely from a concussion obtained from bouncing around all over the room. Harry did the only thing he could do, and called for medical help.

It meant that The Infestation's plan could evolve, and happen at exactly the right time, half a Limbo Year later. Had Harry been able to get word out, he might have prevented the chaos that was about to come.

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Authors note:

I got the idea for this through a request for a Silverhawks fic. retro mania had requested a Silverhawks fic with one of two ideas. While the first idea had been done before in the actual show, but with different results, I ran with the second. This is the beginning of it, and I hope those who read it enjoy it. I won't say anymore, but I have some things planned for it. So I hope you all enjoy this intro, and watch if for future chapters.


	2. War On The Horizon

Infestation In Limbo

(Silverhawks is property of Lorimar Telepictures, or whomever owns the rights now. No money was made off this story.)

Chapter 1: War on the Horizon

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On the planet of Bedlama, the head of the security force, Brigadier Brightlight, was on a serious mission. Lately, some of his troops had been acting odd, and some had been going AWOL. Both were literally inexcusable, since it would mean they had been compromised by Mon*Star's Mob. The only thing he had needed to do was find the source of the odd behavior.

To that end, he started walking variations of the normal paths outside the base. All the recruits traveled the same paths between the base and the business district. If the Mob had an operation going on, it would be on one of the various side paths.

It wasn't unheard of that some sort of business would be on these side paths. It had even been rumored that Hardware had operated a small weapons shop from time to time in this area. Of course, that particular shop wasn't operating right now.

He was brought out of that thought when a human looking woman came running out of a building. This, in and of itself, was cause for him to react. When she spotted him, he could tell something horrible must have happened. Her clothing was torn in a way that would be considered indecent had she not had a wild panicked look on her face. Something was seriously wrong in that building. He'd bet his beak on it.

Before Brigadier Brightlight could ask, the woman pointed back to the building, and said, "You need to do something. They are trying to drug us into being whores." At that moment, Brightlight saw a human looking man stagger out, and look in their direction. He didn't doubt that the woman was the one he was after.

Brigadier Brightlight shielded the woman from view, and raised his weapon. "Stop right there." He wasn't surprised when the man didn't stop. Luckily, Brightlight had his weapon on stun already. He didn't hesitate to fire, causing the humanoid to fall to the ground.

He walked over to the downed man, and checked his pulse. The man was still alive, but out. He then reached for his communicator, and called in. "I need some support at my location." He then looked back to assure the woman she would be alright, only to see she must have run off.

He waited for a few moments, and all of his on duty officers turned up. He was thankful that none of them arrived ahead of the group, since that would have meant they had been there before. He issued his orders then. "I want all of you ready to fire, just in case." He then motioned to one, and said, "Watch him. I suspect he is someone in charge of this place." He then led his officers into the place.

He was horrified by what he saw. Various members of Bedlama's society were in the place, some actively engaging in relations with various women who looked not fully with it, but aware of their actions. It was the worst kind of activity that the Mob could engage in. He almost lost his composure as he bellowed, "THIS IS A RAID!"

Both patrons of the brothel, as well as employees, went into a panic, but the officers contained it. Brigadier Brightlight, barely containing his anger, said through clenched lips to his second-in-command, "Get a call to the Silverhawks. They need to see Mon*Star's latest actions."

As the Silverhawks were contacted, Brigadier Brightlight's troop secured the place. As that happened, two individuals watched the location from two different vantage points. Both collected information, but for two different individuals.

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Having reacted right away to the summons, both Commander Stargazer and Lt Quicksilver came down to Bedlama. They had arrived just as Brigadier Brightlight's forces had finally secured everything. It had been the Commander who reacted in shock vocally. "What in all of Limbo?"

Brigadier Brightlight was there to answer immediately. "A brothel, Commander, was operating on Bedlama, and I fear it is not the only one.". The statement caused a look of shock to cross both Silverhawks' faces, however it was Stargazer who was more shocked.

Lt. Quicksilver, who was the de facto leader of the current generation of Silverhawks looked over things. He looked at the working girls, a look of disgust and concern on his face. "A brothel? Then why do these women look so out of it." Each one, he noted, looked like they had been on drugs at some point, and might still be on them.

One officer came out of the building carrying a crate. As the officer approached, Quicksilver could see that the crate contained some sort of crystals. The officer put the crate down, and went to pick one of them up, saying "This was found in there. Maybe it is used to hide the drugs that were used..."

Stargazer had moved so quick that everyone had been surprised by the action. His gold hand had clamped on the officer's hand, stopping it before it touched them. "Don't. This is Crystal Twist, one of the most dangerous drugs in the universe. I can't believe that someone would leave this out in the open like this."

Hearing that, Quicksilver remember the history of that particular drug, and how dangerous it was. He took a chance to pick one up with his metal hand, and looked at it. "I have only heard of this. It plagued Earth in the past, before special task forces were developed to get rid of it. Then it got utilized to break people, and turn them into mindless slaves." After that last statement, Quicksilver just shook his head in disgust. "Mon*Star has sunk to a new low."

Brigadier Brightlight nodded in agreement. "Indeed, but we should have expected this was going on. It's not hard to believe that he is operating a brothel, and using drugs to turn women into 'working girls'." That last word was followed by a sound of disgust common to the Brigadier's species.

Only one person didn't seem to buy into that thought process. Commander Stargazer shook his head, and said, "I don't think that brothel was one of Mon*Star's operations." He then rubbed his chin, as he thought about what he said, and what it would mean. If he was right in his statement, it meant that Limbo was in for a serious problem, one it hadn't seen since he came to Limbo.

Quicksilver looked at his commander, and could tell that Stargazer's last statement troubled him. Even he could make the same conclusions that his superior came to. It made him pause, and inquire, "What makes you say that, Commander?"

Quicksilver and Brigadier Brightlight watched as Commander Stargazer pointed to the crate of Crystal Twist. "That crate is the main reason." Stargazer looked at Brightlight as he said, "First off, your officer found that crate pretty much out in the open. That's a sloppy mistake that Mon*Star would not allow to happen. The fact your officer found it so quickly should make it seem odd." He then looked at Quicksilver as well as Brigadier Brightlight, and said, "Plus, there is something you aren't aware of when it comes to The Mob. I will, however, consider that I could be wrong in thinking that this might not be Mon*Star's operation." He didn't have to continue, but the implications were dawning on all.

Stargazer walked over to Quicksilver, and then said, "I want to explain more, back at Hawk Haven. I wouldn't be surprised if the ones behind this place are listening in." He then headed back to his vehicle, The Equalizer. Quicksilver nodded, and departed heading back to the Sprint Hawk.

As Brigadier Brightlight continued overseeing the gathering of evidence, two different groups had been discretely observing the interaction. The first was Hardware, who has stationed at the top of a nearby building, using his special surveillance gear. He had it pointed over the edge of the roof. He had actually come up to the roof when he heard events going on, since he was operating in his one 'shop'. While the action caused one client to vanish, Hardware knew he would have to gather information for Mon*Star.

When the Silverhawks left, Hardware already knew The Planet Master would want to know about this operation. He could never understand why Mon*Star didn't start a brothel operation, but now someone else had. What was worse was that the Silverhawks seemed to think The Mob was to blame. Hardware gathered up the recording he made, and reached into his pack, pulling out his trusty, collapsible, mechanical bird, Prowler. As the bird expanded, Hardware spoke to himself. "The Planet Master is definitely going to want to hear this."

Once Prowler had taken full form, Hardware made sure his rut sack was in place, and was sure the coast was clear. While he was certain no one had spotted him, he didn't need his flight back to Brim*Star noticed by the Silverhawks. They'd take that as a sign of his involvement with the brothel they found.

Also watching the investigation was a group of individuals. They had remained in the shadows, since the one person knew that the local law enforcement group would come running over in an instant. The one figure, who remained obscured by their hooded cloak watched, and finally spoke. "I think we are dealing with slightly smarter law enforcers in these Silverhawks."

The second of the group, Space Bandit, nodded in agreement. "Stargazer has been in Limbo since the last gang wars, when Mon*Star rose to power. He probably recognized the brothel as being something Mon*Star wouldn't do. I know I never heard of Mon*Star having any brothels."

The hooded figure nodded. If they could have seen the figure's face, they would have know he was upset, but not angry. "That might have been true. Not the first one I have encountered that doesn't like brothels." He then turned to the third in the group, the female and asked, "Is She the reason?"

The female nodded, brushing her blonde hair out of her eyes. "No doubt about it, sir. If that older Silverhawk is aware of it, he'll know the Mob isn't in charge of the brothel, so all of the prep for our patsy is for naught. "

This actually made the figure chuckle, which was an eerie sound. "No. This can be spun to our advantage. The Mob will know a force is muscling in on their action, and the Silverhawks will start second guessing their actions. They will also contact the only expert on this matter, and we all know what that means." With that, the hooded figure and the blonde laughed an evil laugh.

Bandit was a little lost on it all, but started to laugh anyhow. He was still new to the Infestation, so he wasn't in on every secret in the group yet. He would be soon, since he was proving his worth. He had helped get all the brothels set up, and equipped, while Rhino set up things for other operations the Infestation was putting into action.

Finally, the blonde broke the laughter, and said, "Yes. Before too long, Mel will be joining us. I will be able to finish what I started long ago." Another laugh came from the blonde, and Bandit could have sworn it sounded so familiar. He put that out of his mind though. Since the plan was starting to move forward, he had more important things to worry about.


	3. First Strike

Infestation In Limbo

(Silverhawks is property of Lorimar Telepictures, or whomever owns the rights now. No money was made off this story.)

Chapter 2: First Strike

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Once they had arrived back at Hawk Haven, both Commander Stargazer and Lieutenant Quicksilver approached their leads from separate directions. Quicksilver was reading over the file Brightlight had given him, certain of its accuracy. Sometimes Quicksilver had almost a sixth sense when it came to others, since as he was walking towards the elevator, he almost absently waved at the dark skinned Silverhawk passing him. "Patrolling with Moonstryker today, Hotwing?"

As he paused, he saw the newest member of the team come walking over. While Moonstryker had a similar skin tone to his, Quicksilver had to marvel at new recruit's aquamarine color. This was due to the self propulsion unit, or belt, the newest Silverhawk had. He was the first of all of them who didn't need a vehicle to fly. As it was, everyone took it in stride, especially since Moonstryker never made a big deal of it. He tended to think his marksmanship was his better quality, but he didn't always bring that up.

Hotwing nodded, and said, "You got, Quicksilver. Remember that there is that armored vehicle heading to Do-Lar today. It's almost an odds on shot that the Mob is going to try something. Had the idea to give them the multiple vehicle illusion while Moonstryker distracts them." Quicksilver had to admit that sounded like a good plan. A better one would be to prevent the Mob from even having a shot in the first place.

Moonstryker chose that moment to add his comments on the plan. While he was still the rookie on the team, he did have good points. "From the reports we got in, we should get out to its location in about an hour. Tallyhawk, nor any of the other birds, sent in any news that the Mob had mobilized. I'm just hoping we didn't miss anything waiting for you to get back with the Sprinthawk."

Quicksilver let that comment slide, knowing they were limited on vehicles. Only Stargazer, Condor and Copperkidd, had their own vehicles, which meant with five out in the Miraj, someone had to alternate using the Sprinthawk. He nodded, and then said, "Just keep your comms open. The Mob appears to be up to something new, and there will be a full briefing once we have our facts together."

That comment got a nod from both, and he got into the lift. As the doors closed, Quicksilver saw the two depart to escort the armored vehicle. He then returned his attention to the file, wondering why the Mob was getting into both drugs and trafficking.

During this time, Commander Stargazer had run to his office, and began going through the hard copies of all cases regarding the Mob. He had been part of an old school of thinking when it came to criminal records. While most enjoyed the space saved by keeping all files digital, Stargazer knew that unless one had perfect security, the records could be tampered with. Having a paper copy was the only way to make sure that a file remained genuine.

To that end, the Commander kept records on every bust he made since coming to Limbo. He had arrived during one of the worst gang wars in Limbo's history. During that time, he had received many tip offs on the various Mob kingpins and members. Eventually, it had been Mon*Star who was the final kingpin, and it took Stargazer a few years to finally catch him.

During that time, Stargazer had figured out that while the Mob boss was dangerous in his own way, he had more scruples than the others. There were others who would have plagued Limbo with drugs and other activities. Mon*Star didn't go for that, and given the one person in his mob, he never would have. He was certain that what they found was worse than what they were thinking. He was certain a new faction was in Limbo.

After going thought the top drawers, he knelt down and opened the bottom drawers. He inwardly cursed himself for not thinking to look there in the first place. Sure enough, he found all the files on the original Mob members at the time. Most of them were long gone now, with the occasional one still being alive in the Penal Planet, under maximum security. It didn't take him long to find the file there he was looking for.

He pulled it out, and read over it, making sure he had remember everything correctly. Sure enough, he had. When this one joined the Mob, they were Mon*Star's first recruit. The then fledgling force in the Mob had seen potential, and made sure the opportunity wasn't wasted. Of course, he needed to get the rest read in on this information.

He went over to his desk, sat down to start truly refreshing himself on the information, and then turned on his loudspeaker system. Once he did that, he said, "Quicksilver, once the Hawks are back, tell them there is a high priority briefing in my office. We are even including Brigadier Brightlight in on it." He shut off the speaker, and then started reading over the file, absent-mindedly picking up and tapping a pencil on his desk.

* * *

Several planets away, on the hellish colored planet known as Brim-Star, Hardware touched down on the launching pad of The Mob's base of operation. He had arrived to see his fellow Mob members, Windhammer and Buzz-Saw getting into the Roadstar. He had no doubt that the duo were heading out on a job, most likely an armored vehicle robbery.

He didn't pause to ask them, and made his way to Mon*Star's power chamber. The leader of The Mob conducted all meeting from his throne-like chair in the center of his transformation chamber. Hardware would sometimes wonder about the platform, but erred on the side of safety rather than ask about it.

As he arrived at the room, he saw Mon*Star standing near the console with the snakelike Yes-Man, watching a video feed of an armored vehicle, most likely heading to Do-Lar. While he knew the Planet Master would want to observe this, Hardware knew his news would require Mon*Star's attention. He ran forward, and said, "Mon*Star, you need to hear what happened on Bedlama. "

Mon*Star turned to face Hardware, recognizing both the voice and the urgency in it. While his weapons expert knew better to interrupt his monitoring a job, he knew the troll would not do so with out good reason. "What happened on Bedlama, Hardware? My spy resources are busy with other things. "

He watched Hardware as he appeared to catch his breath. Finally, his weapons expert spoke. "Brigadier Brightlight called in the Silverhawks after finding a brothel." That was a statement he hadn't expected to hear.

With out missing a beat, he grabbed Hardware and lifted him to his eye level. He took note of the stunned look on his weapons expert's face as he requested clarification on what he was just told. "They found a what, Hardware?" He did not allow those places in Limbo. He had even forbid Poker-Face from offering those types of services at the Starship Casino.

He was taken back when Hardware repeated the fact. "A brothel, Planet Master. It was full of women, and some sort of a crystalline drug." He dropped Hardware right then. Mon*Star started to pace in the room, forgetting about the upcoming attack Windhammer and Buzz-Saw were going to launch on the armored vehicle.

As he did, he heard Yes-Man slithering up beside him. "Boss, didn't you order that there are to be no brothels in Limbo? You always said they lead to the downfall of mobs." He nodded, recalling his early days, when he rose to power in Limbo. While he would never openly say it, Yes-Man was usually very accurate in the information he recalled. He just lacked the nerve to act on his information. He had no doubt Yes-Man's uncle, the noted former crime boss known as The Rattler, had some part in that.

To his shock, he heard Hardware say another disturbing statement. "Well, there is, and Brigadier Brightlight and the Silverhawks think your running it." He turned and almost struck Hardware, but then his weapons master amended his statement. "Well, not all the Silverhawks. Seems Stargazer has his doubts about that."

Mon*Star relaxed his arm. That bit was a small consolation. He sighed, and then said to Hardware, "Stargazer is smart. He's been in Limbo since the great Mob war. He's aware where I stand on both brothels and drugs. Neither is allowed in any criminal activity here. Anyone breaking that rule gets no mercy."

Hardware had been stunned by that statement. He had joined the Mob when Mon*Star had fully wiped out all his opposition in Limbo. While the first time he heard the rule, he didn't question it, he questioned it a bit now. He got up off the floor, and decided to press on that. "What's the plan then, boss. Are we going to move in and take over?" He back pedaled as it looked like Mon*Star was going to strike him.

To his shock, it was Yes-Man who seemed to answer the question. "The boss won't take over a brothel. He says the brothels lead to the end of any Mob, especially if drugs are involved." He then saw Yes-Man looked over to the Planet Master. "Right boss?"

He saw the Planet Master nod in agreement. "Yes, Yes-Man. There will be no brothels in Limbo. They only lead to the ruin of any organized crime. Do you know how many groups fell because of some reliance on brothels. Mobs that have politicians in their control lose everything when the brothel is found. Even a few Earth mobs have fallen because some prostitute was caught by police. It's even worse when drugs get involved."

Hardware shook his head a little, still not understanding the reluctance to get involved in those two trades. The Planet Master had approved of his Fantascreen, which had brainwashed the Silverhawks, although he hadn't anticipated Steelwill breaking free with Steelheart's help. He then looked at Mon*Star, and said, "But boss, maybe with those crystal drugs, we could make the Fantascreen so strong, the Steel Twins can't break free."

Mon*Star felt his anger start to boil when he heard about the crystal. While he had never seen it, he had heard enough about it to realize what drug the brothel was using. It was definitely something he wanted out of Limbo. "It is not something we want here, Hardware. In the past, that drug was turned people into addicts in hours. People will want it so bad, it will be hard for us to even do petty theft." He then caught sight of who had entered the room, and if they heard this conversation, he was sure Hardware would end up blasted. "It warps anyone it touches, and very few can even beat that."

Hardware went to say something again, and while she had only just walked in on the conversation, she had heard enough to know what it was about. She had already been holding her Sound Smasher when she entered the room, but in an instant, she aimed and fired it. Hardware had yelped in pain, since her blast caught him right in his ass.

She advanced quickly on her fellow Mob member, and said, "Hardware. If you were to ever think about bringing Crystal Twist anywhere near here, or me, it will be the last thing you ever do." She emphasize her point, Melodia placed the tip of her Sound Smasher right between Hardware's eyes. It was one of the rare times she saw the weapons master cross-eyed, and scared. Even Mon*Star looked scared, but she had told him her reasons for wanting nothing to do with that drug.

She remained like that for a few moments, before the silence was broken. It was Mon*Star, and he spoke in one of the softest voices she had heard in a long time. It was the same voice he used when he had first recruited her for his mob. "Melodia, someone has opened a brothel on Bedlama, and they have it there." In that instant, she knew what was going on. There was only one individual, one person, who could be behind this, at least in her mind. She let out a primal scream, and ripped off her glasses, revealing for the briefest of instants a rare glimpse at her eyes. It was a sign to all those in the room that something truly was wrong.

* * *

Else where in Limbo Galaxy, an armored vehicle was making its way to the bank planet, Do-Lar. This was a semi-regular occurrence, due to the staggering amount of wealth kept in the bank planet. Do-Lar wasn't just the main repository for Bedlama, but for several neighboring systems. Shipment to and from various financial institutions would make their way to the planet, but in an effort to prevent any losses, the shipments had no set routine.

Still, the pilot of the vehicle kept an eye out for any threats. Two of his long spider like limbs held the steering mechanism, while two others manipulated the various controls. He kept swiveling his head, trying to see anything the sensors might miss. As he did that, he spoke to the new guy. "The run to Do-Lar is a true test of any new pilot." He momentarily turned to the new guy, who was the same species as he was. "You know, you're the first rookie to go on this run so quickly after joining."

The rookie quietly nodded, and looked around. As he did so, he glanced off to his right, making sure to try and spot any vehicles that could be a danger. As he did so, he said in a squeaky voice, "Do we have any weapons in case of attack?" At that point, he did spot something, but it was just a space rock big enough for a space vehicle to hide behind.

The pilot nodded, and pulled out his own laser pistol. "Only what we bring. These vehicle are extra armored, and the engines had to be made extra powerful to cope with it." He tapped the console, and said, "The old models, while not designed right, last longer. Even the new models crumple under the assault from the Mob." He then returned his weapon to its holster, and looked in the direction of Do-Lar. "Besides, the Silverhawks are already on their way to escort us to Do-Lar."

The rookie nodded, and then glanced at the scanners. He could see by it that there were two blips in front of the vehicle; one large, and one small. He also noticed one blip behind the vehicle. He pointed at the scanner, and said, "So the Silverhawks are those blips in front of us?" The rookie glanced out at the rock, which was still where it was and hadn't shown up on the scanners.

The pilot glanced at the scanner, noting those two blips. "Looks like one in the Sprinthawk and Moonstryker." He then noticed the other blip, alarm crossing his face. He quickly looked around to where the blip should be, and gasped, seeing the vehicle approaching behind them. To his horror, he saw one of the vehicles belonging to the Mob. What was worse was the figure twirling around a giant tuning fork.

He returned his attention to what was ahead of him, and said to the rookie, "Strap yourself in. The ride is going to get seriously bumpy." As they both strapped in, the vehicle started to roll in a violent fashion, as if being tossed in a heavy wind.

That was because Windhammer, the alien creature from another world entirely had slammed his tuning fork on the side of the Roadstar, and sent a tornado to toss the vehicle around. It was an affective tactic to use on the armored vehicle, since they usually were tough vehicles to crack. As the winds did their work, Buzz-Saw, the robotic hit man of the mob, said, "Nice shot, Windhammer. I think I see some dents in that one already."

Windhammer nodded, glancing over the area. He noticed the large space rock, but decided against using it, and used the winds to steer the armored vehicle into the field of some smaller space rocks. It didn't pay to destroy the vehicle. Too much of the cash and cargo could be lost. He did, however, accept the praise he had gotten. "Thanks Buzz-Saw, but I'm going to have to pick things up. I think I see the Silverhawks approaching."

Depending on which ones it was, Windhammer knew he could handle them. All of their vehicles could get caught up in his wind attacks. Some could even get damaged with him summoning hail. Even his mastery over lightning, which of his kind, only he ever managed to harness effectively to protect and save himself, could target the vehicles, and on some occasion the various flying Silverhawks. Only one was tricky for him to take care of.

Buzz-Saw set things so the Roadstar would stay on the tail of the armored vehicle, and then stood up, pulling the cords to start all his blades. Buzz-Saw, when first constructed on his homeworld, had been designed for construction, specifically lumber and demolition. He had quickly found crime and mayhem more appealing. Since he wasn't from Earth, he never understood what some humans meant when they said he was a maverick, or got the Wily treatment. He raised his arm, and aimed at the approaching Silverhawks, and said, "Don't worry, Windhammer. My blades will clip their wings." With that, he launched one at the oncoming threat, and as it flew out, he followed it up, waiting for their return. If they didn't it would take a few Limbo minutes for new blades to reform, as long as his blades remained spinning.

Moonstryker was the first to see the oncoming attack. He quickly veered off, using his special propulsion until to use the winds created by Windhammer to his advantage. As he did so, he relayed a warning to Hotwing. "Watch out, Hotwing. Looks like Buzz-Saw is itching for a fight."

As he rode the winds, he saw the canopy for the Sprinthawk open up. Hotwing leaned out, his fingers touching his forehead as a magical blast came out of the red triangle in the center of his forehead. Soon, the blast hit the first blade, and then the second, turning both into banana cream pies. He inwardly chuckled as Hotwing flew out of the Sprinthawk and toward the Roadstar, loudly shouting, "Thanks for the pies, Buzz-Saw."

As the Silverhawks flew towards the Roadstar, Windhammer changed his tactics. He would have to let the winds slow down, but the vehicle should be hampered in the speed department. He slammed the fork down, and then pointed it in the direction of the Silverhawks. "Hail, stop the Silverhawks."

As hail flew at the Silverhawks, Moonstryker moved expertly, and even blasted various hailstones away from them. Hotwing created a magical shield to deflect them away. Buzz-Saw in response, pulled his shoulder blades out, and tried to hurl them at the Silverhawks. He then pulled out his own laser pistol, and started firing on them.

As the fire fight happened, the armored vehicle started to stabilize, making its getaway as the Silverhawks fought. As they flew, and kept an eye on the firefight, no one noticed the new vehicle coming out from behind the large space rock. Behind the controls of the vehicle was Rhino, and Bandit as well as one other member of the Infestation were ready to strike. Their vehicle went right after the armored vehicle.

In a few moments, as the firefight continued, they had reached the vehicle. Bandit had jumped onto the roof, and managed to reach the door on the pilot's side. He blasted it, surprising the pilot before he could get to his gun. The pilot tried to dislodge Bandit, but to his surprise, he heard the release on his harness go, and he felt himself pushed out of the vehicle. This move caused him to scream in shock, and it didn't go unnoticed.

The first to notice it was Buzz-Saw, who was at that moment ducking Hotwing's blast, and saw the attack happen. He shouted, "Someone's muscling in on our action." It was a statement that cause the whole fire fight to stop. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the armored vehicle. At that time, the pilot was falling out in to space. The other group was already emptying the back of the vehicle.

The reaction was as expected. Hotwing and Moonstryker jetted off after the pilot as he fell through space. Ironically, Windhammer and Buzz-Saw went after the other craft. While both were fighting before, they wanted to stop this new threat, albeit for different reasons.

It was Hotwing who used his magical powers to slow the pilot's fall, casting a magical beam out to hold him in a magical shell. As he did so, he shouted, "Moonstryker, help me get him up to the Sprinthawk." Hotwing knew they needed to both help defend the armored vehicle, since there had to be another person in.

Moonstryker had grabbed the pilot, and started to do just that. Unfortunately, he was unaware of the one man in the other vehicle. As the Silverhawks were rescuing the pilot, the Infestation was successfully fending off Windhammer and Buzz-Saw. A well placed shot from Rhino had disarmed Buzz-Saw, while the other man had fired a shot to hinder the Roadstar. This member of the Infestation , known only as Crackshot, had an uncanny knack, or luck, for finding the best possible shot for what he wanted. Right now, his orders had been to hinder The Mob, and to make sure the pilot didn't make it. The one Mob member had already disarmed himself, and the other one had unconventional weapons.

Crackshot looked at his next target, and said, "Be ready to run. We will need to activate the bombs, and make sure our plant is with us. He needs to be the only survivor." He then took aim at the pilot, or better yet, just above the pilot. He had to take into account how fast the Silverhawks were moving. The goal was to shoot him before they could get him to their vehicle.

Windhammer, at this time, was preparing to do a lightning strike. As he started swinging his tuning fork, he said, "Buzz-Saw, start using the Roadstar's guns. If we don't damage their vehicle, they will get away with all the money we were going to steal." He then noticed that the co-pilot of the armored vehicle was leaping into the unknown groups vehicle, as well as a figure he did recognize. "And when did Space Bandit get more people in his group. He knows better than to muscle in on Mon*Star's business."

Windhammer struck his tuning fork then, and lightning came out of nowhere and struck the tuning fork, and then went in the direction of the armored vehicle. Unfortunately, it hit the armored vehicle just after Space Bandit and the unknown vehicle left. It also coincided with Crackshot's shot, which struck the pilot just as he would have been put in the Sprinthawk. Both Silverhawks could tell that the pilot was dead.

At that exact moment, the unknown vehicle speed away. The whole scene had both the Silverhawks and the Mob dumbstruck. The Mob would only off someone if they had no other choice in the matter. Yes, they'd deep space someone, but there was always the understanding that someone might rescue them, even if the chances were slim. Besides, a death might lead to an entire change in operations.

This moment of being dumbstruck, however, almost put all their lives at risk. In that moment, a bomb that had been placed in the armor vehicle started to go off. It was a little earlier than expected, due to the lightning strike Windhammer used. The vehicle was blown apart, sending shrapnel in all directions.

Hotwing again cast a magical shield, protecting himself, Moonstryker, and the Sprinthawk. Luckily, only one piece of shrapnel got through, and it only caused minor damage to one of the Sprinthawk's lasers. As the rest of the shrapnel rebounded off the shield, Hotwing made a serious observation. "Moonstryker. I think we may be facing some sort of gang war, or the start of it."

The younger Silverhawk nodded. "That's not good, especially if they were willing to kill that easy. Even worse, they took the co-pilot hostage. I didn't even catch where they went off to." The explosion had made a very noisy cover for the unknown group's escape. He was not going to like putting that in his report.

Hotwing glanced over at the Roadstar, which was limping away. It was obviously damaged, so he figured the Mob wouldn't be causing problems right now. He was actually torn on the idea of arresting them. While they had initially attacked the vehicle, they didn't actually rob it. Yes, there was also outstanding warrants for both of them, but given what just happened, Hotwing figured it would be better to let them go.

He got back into the Sprinthawk, and said "We need to get back to Hawk Haven, and tell Commander Stargazer about this." He closed the canopy, and took off, knowing Moonstryker was right behind him.

As the Sprinthawk flew off, the Roadstar limped along. Windhammer had gotten down, and taken control, since one piece of shrapnel was lodged into Buzz-Saw. No doubt it damaged one of the circuits that allows the robot to use his arms. As he piloted the Roadstar back to Brim*Star, he heard Buzz-Saw say, "Mon*Star isn't going to like this."

Windhammer had no other option but to nod his head. Their heist had been hijacked. What made it worse was the fact that it involved some of the low level thugs that frequented the Sini-star Diner. He tried to push a little more force into the vehicle, however, he was also ready to flag down Seymour if the need arose. After a few moment, Windhammer responded to Buzz-Saw's statement. "No he isn't, Buzz-Saw. I just hope Sky-Shadow was watching us. That could be a saving grace for us." With that, Windhammer tried to get the vehicle back to base.

As they did slowly cruise through space, Buzz-Saw managed to say one bit of good news. "At least the Silverhawks didn't come after us after the armored vehicle blew up." Windhammer nodded in agreement on that fact. Still, he had a feeling that the Silverhawks may have deemed what happened something to report on first, since there was now a new threat in Limbo.

* * *

Some distance away, currently beyond the Light-Year Limit, a special starship was waiting. Similar in function to the Starship Casino, this starship also served as the base of operation for The Infestation. The leader of the group had already returned to it, with Hotwire and the blonde woman. They were waiting quietly as the attack on the armored vehicle played out, thanks to special cameras and such in the vehicle he sent them in. As he had expected, the plan went off without too much of a hitch.

Once it was done, the leader turned to the others there. "Well, now we have the attentions of both the Silverhawks and Mon*Star's Mob. No one should be aware of the various agents we've been installing. The next step is to start bringing down the forces in power in Limbo." He looked over at the blonde, and said, "Are you sure we'll get her under our sway?"

The blonde cackled, and if one didn't know better, they would have sworn she was her sister. "Of course. My sister remembers what I did to her. She won't be thinking straight, and will fall easily into the trap I have set up. She may have resisted the twisting when we were younger, but I know how to break her now."

The leader nodded in approval, and then turned to Hotwire. "How goes methods for hacking into the various information systems? Any progress?" It was important to get into all the communications systems. Currently, they had some of the government facilities bugged, including that of Brigadier Brightlight's office. Knowing what the authorities knew was always in their favor, as well as being able to get rid of all information that was held on any of them.

He saw Hotwire smile at that. "We don't have access to Hawkhaven, but it will happen soon. Stargazer will no doubt keep Brightlight up to date on his latest findings. All it will take is one conference call, and we will have Hawkhaven bugged. I can even alter all their records on any thing." Hotwire laughed at that, but the leader held up his hand, causing the laughter to cease.

The leader got up, and walked over to a door in his command room. As he did so, he said, "I have no doubt that Stargazer is old enough to remember a good deal of the old ways. He will make sure he has hard copies of everything. We are going to have to rely on misinformation. In fact, I'm sure he will realize that the Infestation has reached Limbo, and will seek out those who know how to handle them."

As he activated a light inside the door, he heard the blonde say, "Which means, they will seek out the private investigator." He nodded, and that made the blonde laugh some more. The move was exactly what they hoped would happen. However, the laughter ended when the blonde said, "But doesn't that mean they will seek out that old fool, Rattler. He's one of the few crime lords we didn't eliminate."

The leader nodded, and then said, "Yes. They will no doubt seek information from him. With him in Penal Planet 10, they will have easy access to him. They don't know, however, that I had at least one person in place at the Penal Planet. When they go to seek him out, he will end up silenced, defanged, and having shed his skin very early." Again, laughter rang out, and the Infestation started work on the next phase of their plan for Limbo Galaxy.


End file.
